Cloth laying machine



July 1932- A. CUTTER 1,365,033

CLOTH LAYING MACHINE Filed July 17, 71931 2 Sheets-Sheet l HTTOEMEI.

WM Z24,-

A. L. CUTTER 1,866,088

CLOTH LAYING MACHINE Filed July 17. 1931 July 5, 1932.

2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Her/lug 1,. CUTTER QTTOEA/ISK Patented July 5, 1932 PATENT OFFICEQQF ARTHUR L. CUTTER, or MAPLEWOOD, MIssoUnI cLoTfi LAYING MACHINE Application filed my 17,

" The object of my invention is to make an improvement on a cloth laying machine. More specifically my invention consists of a catching device for holding thecloth at 5 the end of the lay and an actuating device for'inserting the cloth in the catchers, mounted upon a movable frame or carriage. The method of layingthe'cloth consists in unrolling or unfolding the cloth fromrolls or 10 bolts and laying it on a table in superimposed layers.

My device concerns itself with the type of machine in which the ends of the layers are uncut or folded back upon themselves. In order to secure the ends automatically,

" when the carriage of my device is moved backward and forward on the table on'which the cloth is layed, my device is provided.

Thecatching device consists of twoidentical parts, one mounted on each end of the table with the actuating device secured to the carriage. The cloth is passed over tension ing and strai htening rolls and-between flat bars, which serve to engage the cloth with the catchingdevice. i 1

The obj ect of my catching device is to positively engage the cloth without damaging,

and to provide a machine that may be used in layingcloth in lays of different length.

One'that is simple in'construction', easily accessible for inspection; or removable of cloth,

one that maybe inexpensively built, and that lends itself readily to multiple production.

.q'VVithv these and other objectsin view, my

p invention'has relation tocertain novel features of construction and arrangement of parts, as will be, hereinafter more fully described, pointedout in the claims, -and illustrated in the drawings, in which Fig. 1 is a side elevation of my device. Fig. 2 is a fragmental front elevation of the carriage. J m

Fig. 3is a side elevation of the cloth catcher with the rigid catcher bracket shown in its r normal cloth holding position in solid-lines,

and in its released position'in' dash lines,

showing the catcher bar bracket in its cloth engaging position in contact withthe catcher actuating mechanism of the carriage, or

shown fragmentally. This figure shows the 1931. Serial No. 551,358. 7

initial contact between'the catcher and actuat-- ingbarsh I Fig. 4 is a fragmental side elevation of the bracket supporting the catcher actuating bars of the carriage. Thisfigure shows the catcher 5: actuating bars in an advanced position;

Fig. 5 is a View similar to- Fig. 4 showing a farther advance of the catcher actuating bars toward the catcher bars and the ap-" proach toward complete contact between the Q cloth'and catcher bar. v Fig. 6 is a fragmental plan view of the catcher actuating bars and supporting bracket shown in Fig. 2. s I The cloth laying machine is mounted or. the table 7, on the one side of which is se cured the track 8 in spaced relationship with the table. A second track may be provided on the opposite side of the table, if desired. That: is, onlyone track is needed, although (Q two may be used, one along either side of the edge of the table.

Numeral 9 designates one cloth catcher generally. Numeral 10 designates an identical cloth catcher Cloth catchers 9 and 10 are 75 secured to the table 7' in any conventional manner one permanently and the other may. be moved along the table top longitudinally to any position. The distance betweenthe cloth catchers 9 and 10. determines the length 0 of the-lay of the cloth. These cloth 'catchers are positioned transversely across the table top. 1 Numeral 11 designates the carriage" gen.- erally which consists of the body 12 rotativel'y supportedon fou-r wheels-13 Only two wheels are shown in the drawings. The from and rear wheels on one side areoperatively mounted on the track 8. Theflwidth of the table? is greater than thewidth of the car- P9 riage 1-1 in the construction'shown, so that two wheels supporting the carriage oppositethose shown-in: the drawings roll 'alongth'e top=iof the table. Thecloth to be laid may be either-in rol-ls'or in bolts. This machine may be used for either. v

Numeral l i. designates a. roll- .rack upon.

which the roll 15-may be-rotativelysupported.

. Numeral l6 designates asupport secured to thebody of the machine 12... Atthe upper end of the support 16, the guide flange and roller. 17 is rotatively secured. If the cloth to be laid is supplied in fiat fold bolts, it may be laid in the body 12, as shown by the dash lines, and the end passed oved the roller 17 as was done with the roll goods- On the body 12 is formed the bracket 19. The roll rack 14, support 16 and bracket 19 are duplicated on the opposite side of the body 12. Between the brackets 19 are posi: tioned two guide rollers 20, and 21, which are secured as follows: j p I Pivot blocks 22 are rotatively secured, one to each bracket 19. The rollers 20 and 21 are rotatively secured to the pivot blocks 22 in spaced relationship. The cloth 18 passes between the rollers 20 and 21 downwardly as shown in the drawings. The device thus far described is conventional. The description of the machine will follow the path of the cloth from the carriage to the table. On the front end of the body 12 is formed the cloth bar support bracket 23, to which are secured the cloth bars 24 and 25. These bars are in spaced relationship. The cloth bar support bracket 23, Fig. 6, is in sliding vertical engagement on the rods 26. By means of the threaded rods 27 passing through tapped h holes in the cloth bar support bracket 23, the

cloth bar support bracket 23 and the cloth bars 24 and'25 may be raised or lowered. In order to accomplish this, beveled gears 28 are secured to the upper free ends of the threaded rods 27 Numeral 29 designates a rod rotatively mounted in the body- 12, and having beveled gears 30 secured to the ends. The beveled gears 30 are in meshwith the bev- .eled gears 28.

Numeral 31 designates a handle secured at one end of the rod 29. By turning the handle engagement with a ratchet 34 secured to the rod 27 at the extremity thereof.

. Numeral 33 designates a rack in mesh with which is placed the pinion 32 for lowering the front endof the machine body 12. Y Back 33 is normally held extending toward the catcher 10 by a return spring 36. The extent of the longitudinal travel is adjustable by .means of a limit stop pin 38, which may be located in any of several holes located in rack Itis evident that this device affords an automatic means of elevating the cloth support bar bracket 23, as follows:

A stop 38 attached to the catcher 10 causes the rack 33 to'be depressed rotating the pinion 32. Through the pawl 35 in engagement 1 -with ratchet 34, the threaded rod 27 is revolved in the direction necessary to elevate the bracket 23. As the machine travels away from the catcher 10 the return spring 36 restores the rack 33 to its normal position without affecting the bracket 23, since in the reverse direction the pawl 35 disengages from the ratchet 34, allowing the pinion 32 to be revolved about in its threaded rod 27. Since the raclr 33 is operated but once for each cycle of operation of the carriage 11, the amount by which the bracket 23 is elevated is equal to twice the thickness of the cloth be- I ing laid.

Compensation for the variation in thickness of goods for different kinds is made by shortening or lengthening the stroke of the rack 33 by. means of the limit pin 38, which may be placed in any of a number of holes placed in the rack 33 for this purpose.

Catchers 9 and 10 comprise two normally stationary brackets 39, one being situated at each side of the table, supporting the vertical rods 40 with rack teeth out in one face thereof. The catcher bar 42 positioned transversely across the table is attached to two horizontal brackets 41, slidably engaged with the vertical rod 40, so as to permit it to be elevated with respect to the table top. The pinions 43 are mounted on the brackets 41. The pinions are in engagement with the rack cut in the face with thevertical rod 40. Pinions 43 are mounted on the opposite ends of the same rod, insuring the elevation of both ends of the catcher bar 42, when either end is raised. 7 Numeral 44 designates the actual catching material, which is attached to the catcher bar 42, and which comes in contact with the cloth 18 to hold it against withdrawal. The cloth catching material 44 is made of staples with beveled points set in spaced relationship, each. point inclined away from the carriage and so mounted upon the lower surface of the catcher bar 42, as to permit goods to be drawn along underneath without engaging therewith, yet instantly engaging the fibers of the cloth, the moment withdrawal of the cloth is attempted.

Catcher bar 42 is prow shaped toward the carriage, mounting a roller 45 at the extreme tip thereof, where it engages the cloth bars 37. Upright catcher brackets 39 are attached by a hinge joint 45 to an angle member 456, which is fastened to the table by suitable means. The hinge 45 permits the catcher 10 to be swung out of engagement with the cloth 18 at the end of the laying operation, affording excess to the endof the lay for counting the layers, inspection, etc. The catcher actuating device consists of the bars 24 and 25 between which the cloth 18 passes to the table 7. These bars 24 and 25 are flat and are rotatively secured to the supporting brackets 23, through pivotal extensions thereof, which ride in vertical slots in the end and support rollers 47, which rotatively engaging the side of the brackets 23 limit the angular rotation of the cloth bars 24 and 25. Normally the cloth bars 24 and 25 rest at the bottom of the brackets 23,"in which position each of the bars 24 and 25 is locked to resist rotation due to an upward pullof the goods being drawn around the edge of the bars as it passes to the table 7 the rotative action being due to the friction of the cloth passing over the straightening roller 17 and guiding and tensioning rollers 20 and 21. This locking is accomplished by wedging the pivoting edge of the bars 24 and 25 into a notch 48 in the side of the brackets 23 by means of a projecting lug 49 on the opposite side of the brackets 23. While the bars 24 and 25 are locked against rotation in this certain direction, they are readily rotated in the opposite direction by elevating the ends of the cloth bar fingers 46, which serve to release the locking and more readily permits the bars 24 and 25 to be raised. Cloth bar its locked position. This is shown in Fig. 5.

As the carriage is advanced, as shown in Fig. 4, the most forward cloth bar 25 is forced upon the roller 45, and later, as in Fig. 5,

comes to rest on the top of the catcher bar bracket 41. The cloth bar 24 is brought into position carrying the cloth 18, below the center of the catcherroller 45. Consequently the catcher bar 42 is in turn elevated drawing the catcher bracket 41 over the top of the cloth, as shown by Fig. 5. When the trailing cloth bar 24 is completely beneath the catcher bar 42 the carriage is stopped and proceeds in the reverse direction. The withdrawal of the cloth 18 engages the cloth with the catching material 44, which holds it securely as the operation is repeated in the reverse direction in the second half cycle of the operation of the machine. As the carriage moves away from the catcher 10, the cloth bar 25 moves down into normal position in the brackets 23 and in this half cycle, the formerly inoperative bar 25 now carries the cloth 18 into the opposite catcher 9. During this process, the bracket 19 has been elevated by an amount equal to two thicknesses of cloth, so that relatively close spacing between the lower sure face of the bars 24 and 25 and the top of the cloth 18 asit lays on the table, can be maintained Since the catcher rests upon the top surface of the lay of cloth, it is automatically positioned to engage the cloth bars in each cycle of operation.

What I claim is:

1. A-cloth laying machine of the character described comprising a carriage, cloth bar supporting brackets supported on said carriage'in sliding vertical engagement, cloth I bars between which the cloth is drawn carried by said cloth bar supporting brackets and being in sliding engagement therewith, upwardly curved fingers secured to said cloth bars, operatively positioned to release said cloth bars from their locked position during the inoperative position of the machine cycle. 2. A cloth laying'machine, comprising a carriage, cloth bar supporting brackets supported on said carriage, cloth bars carried by said cloth bar supporting brackets in operative relationship with a cloth catching device comprising card clothing having wires sharpenedto beveled points secured thereto, automatic means of elevating the cloth bar bracket as the cloth is piled beneath the ma-- chine. i

p In testimony whereof'I afiix my signature.

- ARTHUR L. CUTTER. 1 p 

